


Written in the Stars

by KamisamaButler



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Could Be Canon, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, Fluff, I feel like this is more tooth rotting fluff than anything, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Relationship, Snapshots, Spoilers, Stars, Starts at rank 9 and will go past cannon, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-25
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-04-27 22:17:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14435268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KamisamaButler/pseuds/KamisamaButler
Summary: Even a phantom thief needs a light to find their way home. A series of short stories that tell the budding relationship of Yusuke and Akira with stars as a background theme throughout.





	1. Nebulae

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally going to be a oneshot with a few stories, but I ended up deciding to add in a post November event, Christmas event and Valentine's day event, because we needed something for these events in the game! haha Anyways, it was already going to be pushing the boundaries of being way too long for a single chapter upload before I added those segments, so I decided to split it up into four parts.

The summer heat was terrible even at night. The humidity was so high that it might as well have been raining. Even so, the city showed no signs of slowing down. People could be seen rushing from one location to another. The Shibuya Crossing was just as crowded as always, if not more so. A steady stream of dressed up men and women could be seen leaving the train station as they headed out to meet up with their various dates. Even over the sound of all of the passersby a solo musician could be heard strumming his guitar nearby one of the exits at the station. Tourists could also be seen with their cameras out while talking in a variety of different languages as they headed towards the famous Hachiko statue. 

It was thanks to this lively state the city was always in that Yusuke and Akira were able to slip back in from the Metaverse. However, Kanawabe was still able to spot Yusuke out from the crowd soon after they had made their way to the stations entrance. The two talked about Yusuke’s decision to compete in the art competition taking place within a few weeks time, with Yusuke reaffirming his desire to simply expose people to his art. He soon went quiet, however, looking as if there was more he wanted to say, but he could not find the words. So, he bid Akira farewell, but right before Akira could take even a couple of steps towards his exit Yusuke called out to him. 

“Akira! I...There is something that has been on my mind for awhile. Something that I have been trying to bury within myself, but I don’t believe I can do so any longer… I was wondering if we might be able to move this conversation to a more private location, however”.

Akira looked at Yusuke closely, gauging the bluenet’s body language, and could tell that whatever it was the other one wanted to talk about, it was important enough to leave the usually calm and oblivious artist a nervous wreck. Giving a small smile and slight nod of his head he agreed, “Of course. It is getting rather late, but would you like to stop by my room for a bit? We should be able to have some privacy there, and Morgana could spend a little more time with Futaba”. Akira noticed that Yusuke seemed a little perplexed when he had mentioned his room, but before Akira could suggest another location Yusuke had already nodded and started to head towards the exit to Yogen-jaya. 

 

After an unusually quiet train ride, they finally made it back to Leblanc and were soon upstairs in Akira’s makeshift room. Yusuke sat down on the old couch and looked up at the stars that he had given Akira during one of their trips to the planetarium. Not knowing exactly how to act, nor where to stand...or if he should sit, Akira finally settled with pulling the chair from the wall close to the couch. After settling down he looked to Yusuke with a rather unreadable expression, even though he was rather curious and strangely nervous on the inside. 

“So, what were you wanting to talk about?”, Akira joined Yusuke in looking at the stars on the ceiling. 

Yusuke remained silent for a couple of moments, as if to try and collect his thoughts, and then finally spoke in a rather soft voice. “I...have never been the best with words. I always seem to say too much, and have no filter as to what I say, as I have always seemed to just say whatever was on my mind. However, for the first time in my life I am having trouble finding how to articulate what I am feeling and thinking…”, Yusuke took a deep breath before continuing. “I still remember the first day I met you. I was rather untowards to you and Ryuji. It is something I will always regret. However, like how the North star has been used for years to help sailors find their way, you came into my life as something I took for granted, but still were willing to show me the way out of my own darkness. Never asking for anything in return”. 

Akira looked on in interest at Yusuke, his heart started to beat rather fast, but he did not want to interrupt whatever it was that Yusuke was trying to say. He knew that whatever he said or did here would have a major impact on their relationship, so he needed to choose his words carefully. So, instead he waited as patiently as he could for Yusuke to finish what he was saying. Yusuke himself quit looking at the stars on the ceiling and looked down to Akira, making eye contact with the silver-eyed boy before continuing. 

“...It was not long after you first helped me take down Madarame that I started to feel...different around you when compared to the others. However, I thought it was more due to the admiration I felt towards you as our leader, but I soon started to realize it was more than that as you helped me overcome my slump...what I am trying to say is that at some point you become someone irreplaceable to me...and I can no longer come up with reasons as to why these emotions I am feeling are not...of the platonic nature... I was hoping that maybe you would be willing to be my +1 at the upcoming art exhibit?”

Akira took in a deep breath he had not realized he had needed. His calm facade started to waiver, but he wanted to make sure that he really understood what Yusuke was telling him. 

“Do you mean this as a date?”, Yusuke simply nodded in reply, as he played with the hem of his shirt. Nerves obviously starting to take control. But, before he could become too nervous Akira smiled and stood up as he walked to Yusuke. Hugging the other boy where he sat, Akira whispered in his ear, “I would love to”. Yusuke’s eyes opened wide in shock momentarily, but he quickly regained some of his composure as he hugged Akira back. A wide smile covered his face, “Thank you, my star. My muse”.

 

\-----------------

 

The planetarium was unusually vacant when Akira lead Yusuke in by the hand. Akira had honestly been expecting far more people as it was a nice get away from the summer heat, and buzz of city life. However, he was not one to look a gift horse in the eye, as it allowed for him and Yusuke to have far more privacy. He had brought Yusuke on a date as a congratulations for his entry of “Desire and Hope” at the art exhibit. He admittedly did not know a whole lot about art, so he waited on the sidelines as he watched his boyfriend be in his zone. Akira had taken out some books to read up on the subject, as he wanted to be able to understand Yusuke’s passion better. However, even with his small amount of knowledge Akira could tell that “Desire and Hope”, was something special. And, he could not help but swell up with pride every time someone had complimented Yusuke on his work. 

Even Kawanabe had shown up again and mentioned his approval of the changes that Yusuke had made. He even had offered to take him under his wing again, but Yusuke quickly turned him down without a second thought. Saying that he was not Madarame, and he would not be stained by desire. That instead his friends were his hope that would keep him on the right path. And, without even a blush nor a moment of hesitation, Yusuke proudly grabbed Akira’s hand and smiled as he said, “As long as I have my rays of hope to guide me, I will be fine”. Kawanabe looked at Yusuke with a smile and told him that Madarame truly did have a good eye before he excused himself. Recalling this conversation Yusuke had, had left Akira with a red face all over again as the two made their way to a back corner in the planetarium. Yusuke noted the change in Akira’s overall demeanor and tilted his head to the side, a small strand of hair falling in front of his face. “Are you not feeling well, my muse?”.

Akira jumped with a small start at being caught out, but quickly regained some composure as he pulled Yusuke’s hair back behind his ear. “No, on the contrary I am feeling better than usual...I was just remembering what you had told Kawanabe at the exhibit”, Akira answered truthfully. 

“Ah, well, everything I told him was the truth”, Yusuke smiled. “You are truly the North Star that will continue to be my brightest ray of hope”.

“...this can’t be good for my heart”, Akira chuckles softly as he leans forward to peck Yusuke on the cheek. “Thank you Yusuke, but the feeling is mutual. I had all but given up on people after I was forced into having a criminal record, but you all have been my rays of hope as well. You shining the brightest of them all”, Akira gave a soft smile as he kissed Yusuke’s forehead this time. 

“I think I understand what you meant earlier by feeling better than usual”, Yusuke blushed. “However, my heart has been beating so fast lately whenever I am around you, or even think of you, that I am afraid I could be having a heart failure”.

Akira laughed as he brought Yusuke’s hand to his heart, “Don’t worry. That is a normal reaction when you are with someone you love. See, my heart is about to leap out of my chest”.

“Oh!”, Yusuke exclaims as his eyes widen. His eyes start to soften with a look of pure happiness as he lowers his head onto Akira’s shoulder. “I am glad to know that this is a normal reaction. However, I guess I should not be surprised. You have already taught me so many new things, so many new emotions. I cannot help but think that I will never have a slump again”.

Akira smiled as he rested his head on top of Yusuke’s as he looked up towards the artificial night sky. “Even if you do have a slump again, I will be there to help you out of it in anyways I can”. 

“Thank you, Akira. Truly”, Yusuke replies as he joins Akira in looking at the sky. “They are truly a beautiful sight. However, I cannot help but wonder if this is truly an accurate representation of the night sky”, Yusuke murmured quietly.

Akira turned his head slightly so that he could look at Yusuke with a soft smile on his face, “It is a pretty good representation”, Akira replied.

“So, you have seen the stars in real life?”, Yusuke looked towards Akira in curiosity. He himself had always lived in the city, leaving only planetariums and photographs as his way to observe the night sky. 

“Yes, you can see the stars from just outside of my hometown. There is mountain in a rather secluded area, so there is little light pollution that gets in the way. We would often go there for school camping trips”, Akira took a quick pause. “One day, we will need to go watch the stars together”.

“That would be lovely”, Yusuke agreed as he snuggled his head back onto Akira’s shoulder. “I would also love to hear more about your time as a child. I am afraid there is still so much about your past that I do not know”.

“The same goes for me”, Akira chuckles softly. “However, we will have plenty of time from here onwards to discuss our old memories, as well as make new ones together”, Akira said as he rests his head atop of Yusuke’s again. Both boys sighed in contentment as they continued to gaze up towards the artificial night sky. 


	2. Supernova

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The definitely more angsty part of the story. Forewarning, there is some mention of abuse in relation to what take place in November.

The news of the captured Phantom Thieves’ leader was not unexpected, but it still left a numb empty feeling within the young blue haired artist as he watched the news on his phone. He had been painting in his school’s workshop in order to try and seem as inconspicuous and normal as possible when the news was announced. However, the moment he heard the news his world stopped. Fear crippled him as he waited to hear from Futaba that their plan had succeeded. Seconds seemed like days, minutes like centuries. 

He stared outside a window near his easel as he watched two birds fly freely in the sky. He could not help but feel jealous of the two birds flying so freely while he was still uncertain of his boyfriend’s fate. The sky he and his boyfriend loved to watch at night seemed so distant, so far and out of reach from him now. He knew that without Akira he would never be able to experience the freedom of the sky again. Clutching his chest, Yusuke held back a sob while he reached for his phone again. A small star charm make a jingle sound as he picked it up. The charm was a gift Akira gave him right before they entered the Casino. 

 

_ “What’s this?”, Yusuke had asked.  _

_ “It’s a lucky charm. They shooting stars are supposed to grant one’s wish and bring luck”, Akira gives a small smile, a faint red color dusting his cheeks. “Look,” Akira holds out a matching charm already attached to his phone “it matches mine. That way, no matter where we are, we will always be connected”, Akira’s smile grew even more gentle as he closed Yusuke’s hand around the charm, giving the boy a small kiss on his cheek at the same time.  _

 

Yusuke took a sharp intake once he realized his mind had been wandering off again. Clutching his charm he closed his eyes and made a silent wish for Akira’s safety. Realizing he was not going to get anything more done until he heard from Futaba, Yusuke grabbed his school bag and went back to his dorm. 

Mere minutes after entering his dorm he heard his phone go off. He quickly opened up the group chat and saw a short message from Futaba that read ‘Makoto’s sis was successful’. While brief, it was enough for Yusuke to feel the life start to come back to his being, and he soon found himself at the train station towards Yogen-jaya.

Little could prepare him for what he was to face once he got there. Sae was getting ready to leave when Yusuke arrived, giving him an opportunity to enter through the door that would have been locked otherwise. Sojiro yelled at him to not enter, not wanting the young boy to see his friend in his current state. But, Yusuke pushed in anyways, demanding to see Akira as he ran up the stairs. His heart instantly froze in a cold fury once he finally saw Akira. His boyfriend was alive, yes. But, he had never seen someone so close on the verge of death. His heart instantly sank further as he watched his boyfriend’s consciousness fade in and out in a delierius manner. He was screaming in agony when conscious, and crying when asleep. Yusuke quickly ran up to him, cradling his head in his arms, telling Akira that he was safe now. The tension in Akira’s body lessened at Yusuke’s touch at first, but picked back up again once his fever rose again. Yusuke had never felt so angry before, not even at Madarame. He instantly regretted letting Akira go to the enemy alone. Wishing constantly that he somehow was able to go in his stead. Silently Yusuke swore to avenge his boyfriend. To get back at those who had hurt him, no matter the cost. Looking up at the fake stars on the ceiling of Akira’s room, Yusuke silently swore that he would not let Akira’s sacrifice go to waste.

 

\-----------------

Soon after defeating Yaldabaoth, Sae Niijima confronted Akira about turning himself in, in order to save his friends. Having agreed with her reasoning he was all but about ready to turn himself in then and there, the sooner the better after all, but then he had received a text from his boyfriend. Seeing that his boyfriend was still feeling anxious about the fight with Yaldaboath, and that he wanted to spend time with Akira because it was Christmas Eve, Akira asked Niijima if it would be okay to turn himself in the following morning. Akira then quickly sent a text back to Yusuke telling him that he would love to roam Shibuya with him.

Sometime after their walk, Akira held the door to LeBlanc open as Yusuke walked in, brushing the snow off of his jacket and hair. Akira held back at the door as he watched his boyfriend warm up in the now familiar warmth of LaBlanc. He stayed silent as he tried to engrave every little detail he could of Yusuke, because who knew when he would be able to do so again. A small feeling of guilt started to form within Akira for not telling Yusuke about what he was about to do. But, he knew his boyfriend would not agree to this. Especially not after what had happened when he had let himself get captured before. But, it was the only way Akira could save his friends. Before he could dwell on these thoughts too long, however, Yusuke spoke up.

“The streets were quite lively tonight. I guess many people want to spend the special occasion with those whom they hold dear”, Yusuke said as turned around to hold Akira’s hand and give it a small affectionate squeeze. Akira smiled and squeezed his hand back in return as he led the bluenet up the staircase.

 

Akira and Yusuke cuddled up on the old couch upon entering the attic. They spent quite some time talking about this and that. Yusuke fell silent after a while, and as Akira was about to ask if something was wrong, he realized that Yusuke looked a little nervous, and had a faint nervous blush on his cheeks. Before Akira could comment, however, Yusuke held out his hand towards Akira.

“This is for you….I do not really have much money as you know, so I could not get anything super elaborate for you, but I wanted to give you something in return for the lovely charm you gave me. And, well, we ended up having to make jewelry the other day in one of my art courses, so...I made you this. I hope that you like it”. Akira looked down at the hand Yusuke was holding out and accepted the gift. Once it was in his hand he realized that it was a small black bracelet with little silver beads in the shape of tiny stars surrounding it. In the middle of the bracelet was a larger star that looked similar to the commonly held depiction of the North Star, with a small red gem found in the center of it. 

“It really is not much, and I find that I am definitely more of a painter than a jeweler, but…”, Akira smiles at Yusuke and quickly spoke up before the young man could continue to ramble. 

“It is beautiful. I will treasure it always”. Akira then goes to put it on when Yusuke suddenly grabs his hand. 

“May I?”, Akira nods and Yusuke delicately takes Akira’s left hand into his own as he begins to put the bracelet on his left arm. “I am glad that you like it. I knew immediately what I wanted to make when we were assigned the project. As I have said before, you are my guiding star, and I wanted to try and recreate that in a medium that you could carry around with you. To remind you just how much you mean to me...I only hope that one day I could be a guiding star to you as you are to me”, Yusuke says with a little depreciation in his voice. Akira lifts his hands up to gently caress Yusuke's face, the bracelet now jingling from his wrist. Yusuke looks up into the other boy’s eyes, and then Akira softly whispers, “You already are”, as he leans in to kiss him softly. Yusuke closes his eyes as he brings one hand up to Akira’s head, playing with the soft strands of his hair, and the other to the small of his back. The kiss was sweet, comforting, and able to explain many of the emotions that both of the boys had wanted to share, but had trouble voicing. Pulling back Akira looks Yusuke in the eyes again, brushing a stray strand of hair behind the artist’s ear, “Please, do not think so poorly of yourself. I would have been lost long ago if it were not for you”. Yusuke immediately blushes, but is interrupted by another delicate kiss.

After a few minutes full of soft chaste kisses the two boys were cuddling again, Akira admiring the bracelet Yusuke had made him, and Yusuke resting his head on Akira’s shoulder, playing with Akira’s other hand, a gentle smile adorning both of their faces. It was not long, however, that the silence finally allowed some of Yusuke’s anxiety to show its fangs, and he brought up the subject of Shido, and what it would mean for them. 

“As you probably are aware, the news is talking in great depths about the Shido case...However, there have been some concerns about having enough evidence...So, I cannot help but worry as to what that could potentially mean for the Phantom Thieves...for us”.

Akira felt his heart sink at the confession of his boyfriend’s, but he knew then for certain that turning himself in was the right choice. He had to protect Yusuke no matter what. But, he also realized that bringing it up would not be a good idea, as it would only cause Yusuke to panic. And, Yusuke would more than likely try to stop him, so instead he stayed silent, but Yusuke was able to figure out something was wrong. 

“What is wrong, my muse?”, he spoke softly as his eyes shone with concern. 

Akira looked at Yusuke, and then down at his hands, “I’m sorry”, was all he could say without giving himself away. 

Yusuke looked at Akira in shocked silence for a moment, but then quickly recovered and shook his head, “No, it is not your fault…. I’m sorry, I seem to have ruined the atmosphere for our Christmas Eve date, even after you made time for me today”. 

Akira did not know how to respond without telling Yusuke everything. His heart ached as he looked at the pained expression on his boyfriend’s face, but he remained silent. Yusuke grimaced as he looked up at the glow in the dark stars.

“I...should probably go home now. It is getting pretty late”. 

“I’ll walk you back”, Akira finally found his voice, but Yusuke simply shook his head no. 

“It’s fine. You must be exhausted from the day’s events”, Yusuke said as he stood up from the couch, his back now facing Akira. A grimace crosses his face again as a moment of silence passed, and finally he spoke up again. “You are hiding something from me, aren’t you”. Yusuke stated rather than asked it as a question. Akira looked down, his heart sinking lower as he tried to remind himself that it was best this way. Best to keep Yusuke from knowing too much and being put into further danger. But, it did not change the fact that Akira felt miserable as Yusuke clearly felt hurt for not being trusted enough. 

“I...I just hope that one day soon you will allow me to help you with your struggles the same way you have helped me”. Yusuke glanced back at Akira over his shoulder not wanting to make the situation any worse, “Goodnight, Akira. May you have sweet dreams tonight, my muse”. With a small smile crossing his face as he said goodnight, Yusuke walked down the stairs, leaving Akira just standing there, bracelet swinging on his wrist.


	3. Redshift

Today was the day. Their first date since Akira was released from juvie. And, it happened to be on Valentine’s day no less! Checking himself in the mirror one last time, Yusuke grabbed the small delicate box of homemade chocolates he had made in Home Ec for Akira. Yusuke was not entirely sure what the protocol was on Valentine’s day when both parties involved were men, but he and Akira never really did follow the norm anyways, so he figured it would be okay to give Akira chocolate on Valentine’s Day. Besides, ever since he made Akira his bracelet, he found that more than anything, he loved the smile that Akira gave him when he made him stuff. So, these chocolates were really as much for him as they were for Akira. Yusuke felt a little guilty upon realizing that the chocolates were tainted with an ulterior motive, but Akira had to give him this after all of the stress he had put him through when he turned himself. Taking a deep breath, Yusuke opened the door to his dorm and headed for LeBlanc.

 

Akira was nervous. He hasn’t really had the chance to talk with Yusuke one on one since his release. He knew that Yusuke was probably mad at him for not letting him know about turning himself in, and could only hope that his fury was not too harsh. Even though he realized Yusuke was in his right to be furious. Letting out another audible sigh Sojiro turned to him with exasperation in his rough voice, “Kid, you’re going to scare away all of the customers if you keep sighing like that”. Startled out of his worry Akira quickly looked up towards Sojiro, almost dropping one of the dishes he had been helping wash. 

“Ah, sorry. I just-”

“Don’t worry about it, kid. You’ve been through enough. Just try to keep it contained for the time being. We’ve been having a pretty busy day afterall”, Sojiro chuckles as he pauses to think a moment. “Oh right, today’s Valentine’s Day. No wonder there were so many guys bringing girls in here. Don’t you have anything exciting happening? I mean, you’ve been here nearly a whole year.”, Akira straightens his back a little as he listens to Sojiro ramble on. He realizes a little too late that he had not informed the man about his current relationship status,  _ I wonder what he will think about my ‘girlfriend’ actually being a ‘boyfriend’.  _

Not realizing that Akira had paused in his dish washing Sojiro continues on, “Y’know, when I was young, hoo boy…”. Before he can say too much more, however, Yusuke walks in with a small blush forming on his face before he waved towards Akira who was now walking around the counter to great his boyfriend.

“Good evening, Akira”, Yusuke smiles, and when he does Akira feels his heart skip a beat.  _ Has his smile always been this blinding? _ , Akira smiles back, twisting a strand of his hair. All previous nerves of Yusuke being mad at him left, leaving instead a new nervous state that left uncontrollable butterflies within his stomach. 

“Ohhh… You should’ve just told me”, Sojiro interrupted, a sly grin crossing his face. “Here, I’ll leave the store to you”.

A little shocked that, that was all Sojiro had to say, Akira watched the man exit the store. Morgana followed suit, but not before giving off quite the mischievous chuckle. He would worry about what that meant later, though. For right now, however, all he wanted to do was focus solely on the boy in front of him. Yusuke may not have been wearing the most elaborate name brand clothing, but he might as well have been. The guy could easily make anything he wore look like designer clothes, but more importantly, Yusuke had a personality just as beautiful to match. It wasn’t every day you would find someone willing to leave their comfort zone in order to help fight non-stop for your freedom. This thought only served to remind Akira how lucky he was to be able to call him his boyfriend. Quickly gathering his thoughts, Akira welcomed him in before Yusuke stood at the doorway any longer.

“Please, make yourself at home. I will make us something to drink quickly”.

“Thank you. It is very much appreciated”, Yusuke smiled as he settled himself down at one of the booths. 

 

Before long Akira sat down across Yusuke after placing two steaming cups of coffee in front of them both. Yusuke picked up the cup gently and breathed in the scent, “I’ve missed this. After you were...no longer here, I found that coffee just wasn’t the same”.

Akira looked down towards his hands, “I’m sorry for causing you to worry”. 

“Don’t be”, Yusuke simply said, a small, but gentle smile crossing his face. “It is true that I was rather worried, but I realized that you truly were doing it for the best of us all...while I regret that I could not do more to help, to be upset with you would be like being ungrateful for everything you did for us, for me”. Taking a deep breath, Yusuke quickly gathered his thoughts, and then spoke again, “Anyways, I came here for a slightly different reason today. As you are more than aware, today is Valentine’s day”,Yusuke pauses as he puts a small star shaped box on the table, “It really isn’t much, but I wanted to give you these”. 

Akira gently picks up the box, a smile he can’t hide even if he wanted to begins to cover his face. “Thank you, Yusuke. I am sure they will be delicious. Hold on, let me get some plates and we can share them”.

Yusuke blushes a deep red as Akira gets up to grab some plates. After returning, Akira carefully opens the box and realizes that it is filled with multiple star shaped chocolates, each one uniquely decorated. “They’re beautiful”, Akira quietly whispers. “Almost too pretty to eat”. 

Maintaining his deep blush, Yusuke’s eyes take on a deep fondness as he looks at his beloved. An equally fond smile gracing his face. To others, they may only see an average guy wearing his work clothes, hiding behind thick rimmed glasses and shaggy hair. Even Yusuke fell prey to this image of Akira upon their first meeting. Yusuke can’t help but thank all of the stars in the sky for allowing him to quickly realize, however, that beneath the average facade Akira had built for himself was an extraordinarily beautiful human. One that he found would be so inspiring to him that he could paint millions of portraits and still never run out of ideas. “You always know exactly what to say to make my heart pound even faster”, Yusuke finally says.

Now it was Akira’s turn to blush, but before he could find his ability to speak again, Yusuke shyly brings up another question, “....Would it be alright if I were to sit with you?”

Nodding, Akira gives Yusuke a smile of his own, “Of course. I would be honored”.

Yusuke quickly gets up from his previous seat across the table, and easily settles himself down next to Akira, head leaning against the latter's shoulder. 

“Ahh...this is nice”, Yusuke chuckles softly. 

Akira smiled back in return as he began to run his fingers through the blue-haired boy’s silky hair. They sat together in this compatible silence for a moment, simply enjoying the presence of each other, and the chocolate Yusuke had brought. 

 

After a few more moments had passed, Yusuke gave a quiet sigh as he snuggled his head further on to Akira, “I will miss this. I had been so focused on trying to help free you that I had forgotten just how soon you will be returning to your hometown...”.

Akira pulled back just enough so that he could tilt Yusuke’s face towards his direction. Looking directly into Yusuke’s quizzical eyes, Akira softly spoke, “I am sorry for having to leave you again so soon. If I could, I would just stay in Tokyo permanently. However, I want you to know that no matter how far we are apart, I will always love you, and only you. You always say I am your guiding star, but in truth it has been you guiding my lost soul. You who helped me break out of my chains, both metaphorically and physically. And, I cannot thank you enough, but I will devote my life trying to do so”, Akira smiled as he leaned down and gently kissed Yusuke. Pulling back from the kiss, Akira reached for a box he had been keeping within his pocket. “I have something I want to give you. It is a little late, but better late than never, right?”, he gave a soft chuckle as he handed Yusuke a small black box with a star patterned ribbon wrapped around it. Yusuke took the box and carefully opened it to find a bracelet similar to the one he had made for Akira. However, unlike the one he had given Akira, this one had a small blue gem in the middle of the larger star. 

Gently taking the bracelet out of the box that Yusuke was still holding, Akira began to put it on the other boy’s arm. “It is definitely not made as well as the one you gave me, but learning to make lockpicks has made me decent enough with my hands it would seem”, Akira begins to chuckle again. 

Yusuke felt like his heart was going to burst. There was no way he could ever explain all of the emotions he was feeling. No one had even been so thoughtful to him before, or showed as much kindness as Akira continues to selflessly do without showing any signs of stopping. He couldn’t speak, and he found that soon he couldn’t see as tears of happiness began to roll down his cheeks. Not wanting Akira to think that he hated the gift, Yusuke wrapped his arms around the other boy, and gave him a long deep kiss. Hoping that this would explain even a fraction of what he could not say in words. A small light flickered above the two boys, as their bracelets glimmered together in the light.

  
  


\-----------------

 

It was a warm summer night just outside of Akira’s hometown. Cicadas could be heard singing, while fireflies danced around the night sky to their song. A small stream was trickling nearby, lending it's gentle melody to the overall song of the night. But, it was the beating of Akira's heart that Yusuke could hear from his position on the silver-eyed boy’s chest that truly completed the overall symphony.

The two were laying down on a blanket that Akira had brought with him for their late night picnic beneath the stars. It was to be their last night together before Akira had to return to his parents home, so the two wanted to take advantage of as much time as they could together. The stars were sparkling brightly above, just like Akira had promised during their date at the planetarium. A sudden cool breeze ruffled through the trees, causing Yusuke to snuggle up more closely if but for a second before the summer's heat bared its fangs again.

“It’s beautiful”, Akira could feel Yusuke mumble from his chest.

“Quite”, Akira replied as he looked at the blue haired boy. A look of pure adoration adorning his face. 

Yusuke looked up making eye contact with his boyfriend. A smile to match the other’s can be seen on his face as he watches the stars sparkle in his stormy color eyes.

“I don't think there is enough paint nor canvases to capture all of the inspiration you give me, my muse. I can think of many ways in which I could paint this night alone, and even then it would not be enough”. Akira lets out a soft chuckle as he leans down to kiss the bluenet.

“You flatter me too much”.

“On the contrary, I don't believe I do enough”, Yusuke hummed as he leaned back down with a soft sigh. “I think I am starting to understand how Orihime feels when she is separated from her lover each year”.

“Well, I was able to get permission to come and visit during breaks. So, at least we won't have to wait a whole year for a single day together...I don't think I could handle not seeing you for but once a year”, Akira looks down towards Yusuke.

Yusuke opened his eyes in shocked adoration, a deep blush covering his face. Akira has always been quiet by nature, but Yusuke found that when they were alone together Akira would show an entirely new and sensitive side. Something that made Yusuke very proud, and unbelievably happy. The shock in his eyes quickly faded to fondness, and he leaned up to peck Akira on the lips, “I don’t think I could handle it either”. 

The two boy’s shared some more chaste kisses before Akira pulled back ever so slightly to rest their foreheads together. 

“I love you, Yusuke. More than there are stars in the sky”. 

“And, I you. My Love”. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading the newest installment ~ Also, I am extremely sorry for the delay on updates. I had a computer crash and delete all of my local files, and my cloud data get corrupted and lost my backups for this and Heart of Nobles. On top of that, I have had some deaths within the family, so I have not really had a chance to re-write anything until now. Things are still rather hectic at the moment, so I cannot promise that the next chapter will be released soon after this one, but I will try my best!


	4. Singularity

An early autumn’s rain was slowly falling down the window panes outside of LeBlanc. The summer heat was starting to quickly disappear and be replaced by crisp fall mornings and chilly nights. A cold chill had started to creep in with the evening sky, as Akira was grasping a warm cup of coffee between his hands that was going to go cold long before he remembered to actually drink it. He could feel his stomach churn as he went over his plans for the next coming hours again and again. Akira had moved back to Tokyo a year ago for college and he and Yusuke had started renting a small apartment not too far from LeBlanc where Akira worked part time again, but also a little closer to both of their respective universities. Yusuke was studying fine arts, and Akira was focusing on criminal law hoping that he could help others who may face a unjust fate similar own past. He and Yusuke had been dating for about two years now, and Akira couldn’t imagine his life without his boyfriend. When he realized just how integral Yusuke had become to his very existence, he decided it was time that he asked Yusuke’s for his hand in marriage. Same-sex marriage is still not legal in Japan, so Akira was aware that they would still not be seen as “official” by the law. However, he still felt that making the verbal commitment to one another among their friends was a major and important step for their relationship. So, with that in mind he had been planning on how exactly to propose to his blue-haired boyfriend for the last couple of months. After working multiple part time jobs, and making countless phone calls, Akira felt rather confident in what he had planned for today. He even felt that the rain might actually help with the overall atmosphere of the evening, so he didn’t mind that it did not show signs of stopping anytime soon. However, even with all of the confidence he had in his plan, Akira still felt extremely nervous. It was not like he thought Yusuke was going to flatout reject him. But, that thought alone did not stop the nerves that built up in his gut. There was always the small chance that he would say no, or that something would go wrong, or that Yusuke didn’t want to take it this far, or...

Before Akira could think too much more on the matter he heard the front door bell chime. Sojiro had closed up shop early today, so Akira immediately who it was that had just walked in even before he looked up. When he did he saw the light of his life walk in through the front door, leaving a whole new set of feelings churning inside of him, but these new emotions created a  more calming effect unlike the previous ones. Akira eyed Yusuke up in down as the other young man shook the rain from his umbrella and took off a black fall blazer. Underneath the blazer Yusuke wore a tightly fitted dark blue dress shirt with the top button left undone. He was also wearing a pair of dark black pants that fit snug around his form, and a pair of relatively new black dress shoes. The bracelet Akira had given him was proudly displayed on his left wrist, easily seen due to Yusuke slightly rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. Yusuke had started to let his hair grow longer, and it now reached a little past his chin. He had the front part pulled back to create a half ponytail, and Akira found that he really did love how it looked on Yusuke. A fond smile graced Akira’s lips as he continued to look on at his lover. After placing his umbrella in the provided rack he turned to look at Akira, fondness clearly evident in his eyes as he gave a returning smile. 

“Hello, my love. You look quite dashing today.”, Akira blushed upon hearing Yusuke saying this. He wasn’t honestly sure if he would ever get used to hearing compliments from Yusuke. Akira had kept his outfit rather simple. He wore a black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up by three quarters, and a silver vest and slacks to compliment it. Like Yusuke, Akira was wearing his bracelet on his left wrist. His hair was still rather unruly though, but he had given up a long time ago on trying to tame it. Yusuke seemed to really enjoy touching his hair though, so he felt that was all that really mattered. Before the silence could last too long, however, Akira thought it would probably be best to respond. 

“Thanks, you look quite dashing yourself”, Akira smiled as he got up from his seat at the booth and leaned in to give Yusuke a chaste kiss. Yusuke immediately returned the kiss lacing their hands together as he did so.

Pulling back from the kiss, Akira gave Yusuke one more kiss on the forehead. He then lead Yusuke over the the bar and pulled out a stool for him. “Before we go would you like a cup of coffee?”, Akira asked, already walking behind the counter. 

“That would be lovely”, Yusuke replied as he crossed his legs on the stool. He leaned forward on the counter and watched his boyfriend prepare the cup of coffee with rapt attention. He always loved watching Akira make coffee. But, then again he found that he loved watching Akira do just about anything.

Before long Akira placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of Yusuke. He then went to retrieve his now cold cup of coffee, and settled down in the stool next to Yusuke. 

“Perfect”, Yusuke sighs as he takes a sip of the coffee. Akira smiles as he watches Yusuke finish up the rest of his coffee linking their hands together as he does so. 

“So, where are we going to this evening? You told me to save the date, but never told me what exactly we are doing”, Yusuke tilts his head slightly to the side.

“Nothing too specially, really. I was just thinking of going to the observatory. They have a special exhibit going on right now that is keeping them open after hours, so I thought it might be nice to stop by”, Akira said as he traced small patterns on the hand he was holding. 

Yusuke’s eyes immediately lit up upon hearing this. He found that he never did tire of the place no matter how many times the two of them went. Eager to go he quickly finished up his coffee, grabbed his blazer off of the rack, and hurried Akira out the door.

 

The two walked together side by side while holding the rather large umbrella together. Both of them enjoying the gentle pitter patter sounds the rain made when it hit the umbrella. They chatted quietly amongst themselves about their day, and before long they found themselves outside of the observatory. Yusuke looked at Akira a little confused, as the place was rather empty, considering it was a special event. 

“I thought there would be a lot more people for such a special event?”, Yusuke finally asked.

“Well, it is a rather exclusive event, as they wanted to make it a special night for couples. So, they had very limited tickets, and it took quite a bit to get tickets for us”, Akira began to play with one of his curls. 

Yusuke was so happy to hear about all of the trouble Akira went through to get them these tickets. It meant more to him than Akira could even imagine, as growing up with Madarame as a guardian often left him feel like a waste of resources. But, Akira would always quietly remind him through actions like this, and quiet words said only for his ears, as well as the not so quiet ones around their friends, to remind him on a regular basis that he was allowed to have happiness. “Thank you, truly”, Yusuke said as he leaned down to kiss Akira. 

Once they were inside a bubbly young staff member who seemed a little too happy about seeing two guys together lead them to their seats. The observatory was completely empty of any other couples, but Yusuke did not think too much of it after hearing it was an exclusive event. The lights began to dim once they were seated, and a quiet piano piece started to play over the speakers to accompany the stars rotating in the artificial night sky. Akira put his arm around Yusuke as the later cuddled up closely to him resting his head against Akira’s shoulder. It wasn’t long after that the stars in the sky started to move from their positions to form various shapes from hearts to roses. And, knowing that it was a special event, Yusuke did not think too much of the change within the stars’ formation. Instead he looked on in absolute delight not even trying to hide the smile that covered his face. 

“This is breathtaking”, Yusuke sighed as he watched the stars dance across the sky. 

“I am glad you are enjoying it”, Akira responded as he played with a small ring box he was keeping in his front pocket. The nerves were definitely kicking in for him at this point, so he wasn’t able to pay too much attention to the night sky, but the sheer look of happiness that Yusuke was showing on his face already made all of the long hours he worked, and constant phone calls to the observatory worth it. 

After a few more moments passed the stars began to form letters one by one until a short message was written amongst the stars. Yusuke froze up as he tightened his grip on Akira’s hand. A quiet shocked gasp leaving his mouth, as he mouthed the words that the stars formed. “ _ Yusuke Kitagawa, will you please marry me?”.  _ Tears began to fall from Yusuke’s eyes as he covered his mouth with both of his hands. Meanwhile, Akira had gotten out of his seat and down on one knee, opening the small box that he had been holding. Clearing his throat he quickly spoke, if only to have an answer.

“Yusuke...I don’t even know where to begin. I had planned out so many different ways that I would say this to you, but I find that I am drawing a blank”. At this Yusuke turns his eyes to Akira and notices the box that he is holding. Inside the box is a small silver ring that bent outwards so that two stars could meet at either end, while still wrapping around the finger. Both stars had a small gem in the middle of it. The slightly larger star had a sapphire gem in the middle, while the smaller of the two stars had a small ruby encrusted within it. There was an engraving on the inside that wrapped around most of the underside of the ring that read,  _ To my beloved Northern Star that keeps me in orbit. _ Yusuke looked up from the ring to Akira, but before he could say anything Akira continued speaking.

“I never realized how dark my world was until you came into my life. Even during my darkest days you stayed with me and helped guide me home to you. Now I find that it would bring me no greater joy than to ask your permission to stay by your side forever and help protect the light you bring to this world. I know that we are both still in college, but I cannot even begin to imagine a life without you, and I find that I love you even more with each passing day. So, Yusuke Kitagawa, my most brilliant shining star, would you please allow me the honor to be your one and only?”.

“It would be my honor”, Yusuke smiles as tears continue to roll down his face. Akira lets out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, and then reaches out for Yusuke’s left hand, slipping the ring onto his finger. The staff come into the observatory and cheer as the two of them share a kiss. The artificial stars still shining brightly above them. 

 

\-----------------

 

It is a warm spring afternoon. The sakura petals are in full bloom, and different birds are starting to sing their songs again. A gentle breeze ruffles Yusuke’s shoulder length hair that is currently pulled back into a messy loose bun. Akira’s wild hair has finally been somewhat tamed after years of trial and error with different products, as he had needed to find some solution due to now being a working member of the justice department as a detective. They had been married for some time now, and both had settled into their jobs as adults and decided that they were ready for the next step in their life. 

Yusuke and Akira were walking hand in hand alongside a river when Yusuke suddenly stopped. “I am not so sure I am ready for this afterall”, Yusuke spoke up. Worry was clearly written across his face. “I mean, I have no idea how to be a father”.

Turning so that he can face Yusuke, Akira brushes one of his hands across Yusuke’s cheek while giving him a gentle smile, “Yusuke, you will be the best father I know”.

“But, what if I am not? What if I end up being like Madarame?”, Yusuke hesitates, bringing up his fear that he has expressed throughout many of the times he had doubted whether or not this was a good idea. 

“Yusuke, as I have mentioned before, you will never be like Madarame. Even if you did not have a good experience with your guardian, he did teach you everything you  _ shouldn’t _ do as a parent. And, for that very reason I think you will be an excellent father”, Akira gives Yusuke’s hand a gentle squeeze while brushing Yusuke’s some loose hairs behind his ears with his other hand. Giving Yusuke’s hand one more gentle squeeze, Akira turns towards their destination once more, pulling Yusuke along.

“You know, I don’t think any parent is ever truly ready for their first child”, Akira says as he gives off a slightly nervous chuckle. “There are just so many unknown variables at play, and I am sure that the responsibility of raising a child is far greater than we can even imagine at this moment. But, the moment I remember that I am not doing this alone, and that I have you as my partner, all of my doubts disappear. Instead, I am left with an indescribable happiness. I mean, of course I am nervous, but I know that we can make it through this together”.

“...you always seem to know exactly what I need to hear. I still cannot help but wonder if you have telepathic powers sometimes”, Yusuke chuckles fondly as he leans into Akira. “You are right though. I am not alone in this. Together we will be able to make this the happiest family ever”. Akira blushes as he rubs the back of his neck, and soon the two fall into a companionable silence. 

 

Before long the two find themselves standing in front of a small orphanage. It is a well kept building, with signs of being a rather warm and welcoming place, all things considered. The two men give each other one last look as they walk through the door together. They are greeted shortly after by a kind small middle aged women who they recognize as the headmistress.

“It is so nice to finally meet you two in person. Call me old fashioned, but talking over video chat just really isn’t the same”, she then gave both of the young men a hug, even if it is not the most common of greetings in Japan. 

“Hikaru is finishing up packing his bag. He is a little nervous about leaving, but I know he is more than ready to call your place his new home”, the headmistress says as she leads the two young men into a small bedroom. 

Upon entering the room they see a few small beds and desks lined up against the walls. In the corner of the room a small four year old boy with dark curly hair, and silver eyes who the two men immediately recognize as Hikaru from their video chats is packing away a few miscellaneous items with the help of an orphanage assistant. The headmistress excitedly calls out for Hikaru announcing his new fathers’ arrival, and he turns to look at the two.

“Hello, Papa and Daddy. I am ready to go home!”, a huge smile covers his face causing his eyes to close shut.

Yusuke and Akira both bend down to hug their son, as he comes running towards them. A few tears of joy slide down Yusuke’s cheek as he and Akira hold Hikaru in their arms for the first time. They both knew in that moment that things were the way they were always meant to be. That a missing part of their life had finally been found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this fic! And, I cannot even begin to thank you enough for all of the kudos and wonderful comments you have all left! This is actually my first multi-chapter fic that I have completed, so I am super excited about that. However, I wrote this/am posting this while extremely sleep deprived, so there are bound to be some grammatical errors. So, I apologize for that. 
> 
> As you may have guessed already, the story gets its name from the first part of the fourth chapter. The idea of Akira using an observatory as a way to propose to Yusuke is what started the whole star centered idea. Also, for those that may be curious, Hikaru (光) means to "shine" or "sparkle". The word for star "hoshi" is not a name people actually use for their children from what I can gather. And, pretty much all of the names that have stars involved with it are actually surnames. So, I decided to go with Hikaru, as stars often said to shine and sparkle in the sky.
> 
> As far as chapter names go, I actually spent some time deciding on astronomical terms that I felt related to each arc that I created, so I thought I would explain a little bit of the reasoning for each one.  
> Chapter 1 - Nebulae: Refers to the dust and gas that help form stars. As this was the first chapter, as well as the beginning of the two's relationship I felt that this was a very fitting name for the chapter.  
> Chapter 2 - Supernova: Is a cataclysmic event when a star uses up all of its energy and explodes. As this chapter dealt with climatic end part of the game, as well as the Christmas eve fight, I felt that supernova helped capture some of the explosive energy of the end of the game, as well as illustrate the end of major chapter in their lives.  
> Chapter 3 - Redshift: Redshift refers to the speed at which an object is moving away from the observer. I felt this was very fitting for this chapter, as both of Yusuke and Akira are moving on from their roles as Phantom Thieves, as well as having to be physically separated from one another with Akira being in prison, and then having to go back to his hometown. (Fun fact: A blueshift refers to an object moving closer to the observer).  
> Chapter 4 - Singularity: Is a point where a property, such as a black hole, is infinite. It also refers to something that is singular, or one. For me I felt that this was a good chapter title to end with, as it is when in a kind of metaphorical sense, Akira and Yusuke become one through marriage. I also felt like the idea of infinity was really nice, as while the written story ends here, I can't help but think that they would have many more adventures together, and that their legacy would be passed on through their child.
> 
> Thank you again so much for reading this fic, and I really do hope you enjoyed it!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I actually have quite a few of the segments that happen after November-Valentine's day already written, and the rest are already outlined. So, I should be able to upload the rest of the story pretty soon (In comparison to my other story anyways). I just need to finish writing those three parts. Anyways, I am still working on Heart of Nobles, I just forgot to back it up to cloud data before I went on a trip, and therefore did not have access to it on my phone. (Meaning the majority of this story was actually written on my cellphone ^^;) Anyways, thanks again for reading! I would love to hear what you thought about it, so please feel free to comment bellow ~


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